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ISSUE 1<br />
JAN ‘17<br />
Dave Inman<br />
Sports Injury Specialist<br />
Mervyn Ettienne<br />
Mental Preperation For Sport<br />
Ian Watson BSc<br />
Sports Hydration And Nutrition<br />
Terry Daly Uechi Ryu<br />
Over 40 Years In Karate<br />
Garry Lever Writes A<br />
Regular Column For<br />
Ippon Magazine<br />
Molly Samuel MBE<br />
Tells Us<br />
WKF WORLD CHAMPION<br />
JORDAN THOMAS<br />
PATH TO GOLD!
Osu,<br />
Is there a resurgence in British Karate again?<br />
Tokyo 2020 and a British World Karate champion<br />
for me I feel an excitement in the air. I want to read<br />
about Karate again, I want to read the stories and<br />
understand the stuggles.<br />
Whats new in coaching?, Whos coming through?,<br />
Who is winning the tournaments?. Olympic sports<br />
have magazines for fans, athletes and officails to<br />
read about the sport they love. Why not Karate?<br />
I want to change that and bring an informative<br />
magazine with great content. And help promote<br />
a possitive image of British Karate. Traditional or<br />
Sports it is still Karate.<br />
This a dip of a toe, that I hope will become a<br />
success and in turn help move forward British<br />
Karate.<br />
Please get in contact if you wish to advertise<br />
tournaments, display results and pictures or want<br />
to submit articles editor@ipponmagazine.co.uk<br />
Thank You & Enjoy<br />
MD :: Ippon Magazine
4<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
Cover Stories<br />
CONTENTS<br />
EXCLUSIVE-Jordan Thomas<br />
FULL INTERVIEW with the current world champion<br />
-Page 14<br />
Terry Daly Uechi-Ryu Over 40 Years In Karate And Still<br />
Producing Champions Page 20<br />
Dave Inman<br />
Discusses Sports Injury Page xy<br />
Molly Samuel MBE<br />
British Womens First World Karate Champion Page 7<br />
Mervyn Ettienne<br />
Dealing With The Pressures Of Competing Page yz<br />
Ian Watson BSc<br />
Sports Hydration And Nutrition Page 7<br />
Garry Lever The Author And Writer Contributes His Own<br />
Regular Column Page yz<br />
Ray Sweeney<br />
Ceo of The Disability<br />
Karate Federation<br />
Page 6<br />
Karate Legends<br />
by Patrick Donkor<br />
Page 7<br />
Albert Forsyth<br />
Sprinting<br />
For Karate<br />
Page 7<br />
Rising Stars<br />
A chat with the Veras Brothers<br />
abouttheir early experiences<br />
Page 7<br />
John Gardiner<br />
Elite Kata Competitor<br />
And Coach<br />
Page ab<br />
Kris Coulter<br />
Talks About Scottish Karate<br />
Page 7<br />
Featured Club<br />
John Tunman and his Shindo<br />
Kai Association<br />
Page 79<br />
Stan Dyson part 1<br />
A Trip Down Memory Lane<br />
Page 99<br />
Cover Photo: PAUL IVES PHOTOGRAPHY paul@paulives-photographer.com<br />
Photos courtesy of Jordan Thomas, Jim Diamond, Terry Daly, Paul Ives Photography, Stan Dyson and Ray Sweeney
6<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
A brief bio of Ray Sweeney<br />
Technical qualifications:<br />
6th Dan Karate, 1st Dan Taijitsu,<br />
Sifu Tai Chi Chuan.<br />
Coaching Qualifications:<br />
Level 4 Karate Coach<br />
(International Master of Karate)<br />
on the European Qualification Framework.<br />
The Disability Karate Federation<br />
Professional Qualifications:<br />
Tutor Adult Education and Training Level 3<br />
Assessor Vocationally Related Training level 3<br />
Tutor and Assessor for 1st 4Sport, English Federation<br />
of Disability Sport and Sports Coach UK:<br />
Disability Sport<br />
Inclusion in Sport<br />
Communications and Social Media<br />
Level 2 Inclusive Martial Arts<br />
Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults<br />
Inclusive Physical Activity<br />
Active Kids<br />
How to Engage Children in Sport<br />
How to Engage Adults in Sport<br />
RAY SWEENEY<br />
Expertise:<br />
Sport and Recreation Alliance – Education Expert Reference Committee<br />
Sport and Recreation Alliance – Sport and Physical Activity Committee<br />
TAFISA Olympic Federation of Sport for All – Martial Arts Commission<br />
Department of Culture Media and Sport – Expert Roundtable on Disability Sport<br />
Numerous County Disability Sport<br />
Awards:<br />
Sport England Provider of the Year<br />
Coach of the Year Oxfordshire<br />
Project of the Year Buckinghamshire<br />
Person Contributing Most to Sport Oxfordshire<br />
Ray Sweeney is the CEO of the Disability Karate Federation (DKF) which is an innovative Disability<br />
Sports Organisation and registered charity based in the multi-cultural City of Oxford. The DKF is<br />
the largest disability karate organisation in the world and their board contains both disabled and<br />
non-disabled people.<br />
After 12 years in Spain, Ray began his UK coaching career in late 2012 with the idea of using<br />
karate as a vehicle to create social change. His journey led him to become an adult education tutor<br />
and qualification assessor for Sports Coach UK and 1st4Sport. His continuous professional<br />
development has included over 30 disability sport training courses in the last 4 years and he now<br />
also writes OFQUAL regulated qualifications with 1st4Sport on Inclusive Karate and is a speaker on<br />
sport participation at international Olympic conferences<br />
“I believe it is fundamentally important to help other people. I cannot look the other way<br />
when I see someone in difficulty; I have to intervene.<br />
I remember the first day that I entered a dojo. I saw there was something very unusual about<br />
karate and I began to research the history and philosophy behind it, investigating over 250<br />
studies into the positive effects of karate.<br />
The last four years developing the Disability Karate Federation around the world have been<br />
exciting, exhausting, full of smiles and laughter and sometimes tears. There were so many<br />
obstacles in the way but I love a challenge and obstacles are just things to be gotten over, or<br />
under, or around or sometimes smashed out of your way!”<br />
BACKGROUND TO KARATE<br />
“Budo” in Japanese or “Wudao” in Chinese have a deeper meaning than just the English<br />
translation of “Martial Arts”. Budo and Wudao actually mean “the Way of Preventing War”.<br />
Bushido means “The Way of the Warrior”<br />
Karate was founded on the principles known as the “Seven Virtues of Bushido”;<br />
determination, benevolence and compassion, right behaviour and actions, sincerity, integrity<br />
and honesty, and responsibility. But, as Yasuhiro Konishi famously said, “Karate aims to build<br />
character, improve human behavior, and cultivate modesty; it does not, however, guarantee<br />
it”.<br />
Whilst many people see the truth behind Konishi’s insight into some of the people we come<br />
across in today’s karate, it is interesting to note that modern sports have created their own<br />
versions of the Seven Virtues.<br />
Karate was designed to provide physical activity for life. The black belt system traditionally<br />
starts at 16 years old for a person`s first black belt and athletes may attain the final 10th<br />
degree when they reach a minimum of 74 years of age, after a lifetime of practice. For me,<br />
karate should be seen not just as physical activity, but as the beginning of a lifetime’s journey<br />
of education and continuous self-improvement.<br />
I believe that it is important not just to talk about the values of martial arts, but to live by<br />
them and therefore these principles have become the philosophy which underpin the work<br />
of the DKF especially in the role of education, being a role model, nourishing character and<br />
developing further life skills. (cont...)
8<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
BACKGROUND TO THE DISABILITY KARATE FEDERATION<br />
RAY SWEENEY<br />
Karate is not the object of what we do, but martial arts are iconic and they are fun.<br />
Everyone has heard of Bruce Lee, the Karate Kid or Kung Fu Panda, everyone has<br />
attempted that karate chop. Ever popular and with wide appeal, martial arts have the<br />
potential to create profound social change.<br />
In accordance with our constitution, karate is the vehicle we use to create outcomes<br />
in physical and mental well-being and personal development, and how we build and<br />
strengthen inclusion in traditional communities and the new modern communities of<br />
social media. We use karate to create volunteering, education and employment<br />
opportunities for people who are disabled, disadvantaged, suffering from mental<br />
illness, infirmity or living with poverty. Karate is also as vibrant, engaging and relevant<br />
to children and young people today as it has always been.<br />
Itosu, Funakoshi, Mabuni, Ohtsuka, Miyagi; each innovator in karate has wrought great<br />
change and these changes gave karate a lead over many other forms of physical<br />
activity. The world has moved on from those days and karate must adapt to the<br />
modern world and adopt modern inclusive coaching practice if it is not to be side-lined<br />
by other martial arts and sports or physical activity.<br />
Many people talk about how karate is “not a business” but the reality is that it always<br />
has been, just as sport is a business. The DKF is professionally run by people with the<br />
right experience and qualifications. We believe a high Dan grade does not qualify<br />
someone to run an organisation. High dan grades are awarded when someone is old<br />
enough and that is not a qualification.<br />
Board members should always have current and relevant skills in policy development,<br />
accountancy/financial, business administration, business development, business<br />
management, IT, HR and coaching. Every action of the board, every single policy must<br />
begin with Safeguarding as the highest priority. To fulfil the latest requirements of<br />
good governance in sport, Board members are non-executive volunteers whilst the<br />
executive members are employees. The Board also reflects the population in terms of<br />
the number of women and the representation of disabled people and people from BME<br />
groups in society.<br />
Research suggests that the success of physical activity programmes for persons with<br />
disabilities are mediated by the interaction of the subject and the pedagogical<br />
knowledge of the teacher/coach with the population served. Coaches and instructors<br />
frequently cite a lack of professional education and instructional support as barriers to<br />
their inclusion of all people in their programming.<br />
It is evident that a black belt is not a coaching qualification but a measure of someone’s<br />
technical ability.<br />
One of the ambitions of the DKF is to increase confidence, physical competence and<br />
physical activity levels among people from every background but specifically persons<br />
with a disability in the UK by increasing the quality of coach education and<br />
accreditation in the martial arts.<br />
We have put high-quality coaching at the heart of everything we do to create an<br />
athlete-centred model. The DKF is a Recognised Centre for 1st4Sport Qualifications<br />
and a Workshop Partner with Sports Coach UK. The DKF coach education department<br />
has trained and educated four Tutors and two Assessors, has Internal Quality Assurance<br />
and qualifications are externally verified by 1st4Sport and regulated by OFQUAL.<br />
We are currently working with a group of partners including UNESCO, 1st4Sport and<br />
the European Commission to create new Inclusive Coaching qualifications on the<br />
European Qualification Framework. We are also about to launch an innovative new<br />
1st4Sport Inclusive Activator qualification that aims to dramatically increase<br />
participation in karate, signposting new participants to properly qualified coaches<br />
The DKF employ people with relevant and current skills which the board lacks; sport<br />
scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, qualified coaches, coach educators,<br />
assessors, IT specialists, process managers, process engineers, social media experts and<br />
marketing experts.<br />
WHAT WE DO - OVERVIEW<br />
The DKF take karate into disadvantaged communities all over the UK and work with<br />
organisations and disabled people to help them tackle their issues and motivate them<br />
to take steps towards better health, recovery and independent living. We decrease<br />
the number of physically inactive people by taking our sessions to wherever there is<br />
a need. We have moved the furniture aside to run regular sessions in classrooms and<br />
offices, we have run sessions in a field and even in a hotel conference room. The big<br />
focus is FUN!<br />
We promote healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, and also offer opportunities to join<br />
mainstream sessions to provide some of the essential elements towards inclusion.<br />
The DKF organise Festivals of Martial<br />
Arts which are free for every athlete.<br />
Young non-disabled athletes are<br />
encouraged to volunteer and assist<br />
each disabled athlete in performance of<br />
their skills and to follow the Activator<br />
Coach route. Everyone can participate,<br />
everyone can achieve and everyone can<br />
enjoy the feelings that achievement<br />
brings. Most of all it’s FUN!<br />
(cont...)
10<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
RAY SWEENEY<br />
Every person receives the same medal and a certificate. There is no podium but 1st<br />
2nd and 3rd place are recognized to encourage an athlete development pathway, with<br />
everyone else receiving 4th place. The atmosphere is one of celebration of the skills of<br />
martial artists rather than a competition. After the Festival we hold a free celebration<br />
buffet dinner for everyone.<br />
We are working with the European Commission and University College London to<br />
develop a martial arts themed social media app that can be safely used by young<br />
people and disabled people and will teach them how to be secure when online. It will<br />
give them access to circles of friends and enable them to overcome communication<br />
barriers such as an inability to type, hear, speak, see or read.<br />
INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT<br />
(left)<br />
DKF Officials Malcolm<br />
King and Peter<br />
Edwards with<br />
another winner<br />
(right)<br />
Owen Murray MBE<br />
6th Dan karate<br />
and twice European<br />
champion awarding<br />
medals<br />
We bring members of different UK communities together to travel abroad and meet<br />
disabled and non-disabled young people from other countries. We investigate topics<br />
such as their sense of community and social media. We introduce people to<br />
photography, video, apps that can assist communications, values in martial arts and<br />
create international cross-border friendships to widen their community. The DKF also<br />
run international festivals each year as far afield as Indonesia and Korea. All of this we<br />
provide free of charge.<br />
MEASURING IMPACT<br />
Technology and insight are at the centre of what we do and drive the design of our<br />
offer so that we may best meet the needs of our participants. With the support of<br />
cloud-based Microsoft Foundation, Salesforce and Sage Foundation, all of our systems<br />
are fully integrated into our online CRM. The Football Foundation provide us with their<br />
Upshot software to enable us to measure our impact, gain feedback from our<br />
participants and show our performance against KPIs<br />
Four years ago I began with just an idea, one disabled athlete and no funding. Today<br />
we have created participation for thousands of disabled and disadvantaged people all<br />
around the world, have won numerous awards.<br />
We have changed perceptions of disabled people and changed their lives<br />
My Top Tip for 2017? There are some truly inspirational people out there in karate<br />
“Judge people by their actions and not their words”<br />
Neil Adams (pictured left) 8th Dan judo and World and European judo<br />
champion and Olympic silver medalist, celebrates with a DKF student<br />
-Find out more on their website<br />
www.disablitykarate.co.uk
14<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
JORDAN THOMAS
16<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
JORDAN THOMAS
20<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
JORDAN THOMAS
8<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
RISING STARS<br />
The Veras Brothers are 3 boys from London making their way around Europe,<br />
tearing up the Karate tournemant scene. Their father Raphael, is a Brazilian, former<br />
World Shotokan Champion, and he is leading their journey to stardom. These boys<br />
don’t just practice Karate, they also train in Judo, Boxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I<br />
caught up with them.<br />
Luan: 12 years old and a Brown Belt 1st Kyu<br />
Liam: 11 years old and a Purple Belt 2nd Kyu<br />
Luca: 9 years old and currently a Green belt 3rd Kyu.<br />
MIchael Day: Hi Luan, Liam, Luca and Raphael and thank you for taking the timeout of<br />
you busy schedule to talk to me.<br />
Luan: Hi Mike<br />
Liam: Hi<br />
Luca : Hi<br />
Raphael Veras: Hi Mike no problem at all and thanks for doing this with us.<br />
Raphael Veras with Luca (left), Liam (centre) and Luan (right) after another successful medal haul<br />
MD: It seems like every time I open facebook I see more and more medals being won<br />
from these three boys but not just in Karate but also Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and<br />
I have just seen recently that they have started boxing. That’s impressive for boys of<br />
such a young age why so many fighting arts?<br />
RV: They all started with judo training in 2010 to help them with some Karate<br />
techniques, But because they enjoyed Judo so much they started competing as well.<br />
We are big UFC fans and follow loads of MMA fighters so naturally they asked me to<br />
train in the fighting arts that make up MMA. They started the Boxing in January 2016<br />
but have not competed yet due to not having the time. They started BJJ last year<br />
under Kywan Gracie, member of the famous BJJ Gracie Family, at the London<br />
Shootfighter dojo, and are now doing their boxing there too with a very skilful boxing<br />
instructor, who has won many national titles. I thought the time was right, as many of<br />
the groundwork techniques will definitely sharpen their skills in judo. They love taking<br />
part in Judo and BJJ competitions and this year we will be stepping up their training to<br />
be even more successful at those arts. But Karate is their first love, they all started at<br />
three years old and we want to achieve even more this year.<br />
MD: You must spend many hours out of the house for training and do many miles for<br />
the competitions, take me through a normal weeks training for the boys?<br />
RV: Last year was mad for us to try and manage our time to dedicate to the boys<br />
training and competitions. Now with BJJ and boxing training taking place at the same<br />
venue it will be a lot easier.<br />
RV: Monday Karate North London, Judo<br />
West London, Tuesday Boxing then BJJ East<br />
London, Wednesday Karate, Thursday<br />
Boxing and BJJ, Friday Karate and Judo,<br />
Saturday Karate and Judo or competing,<br />
Sunday day off or competing.<br />
MD: Wow that’s a lot of training?<br />
RV: They love it Mike, they just want to<br />
train.<br />
MD: I can relate to that. My son plays or<br />
trains at football 6 days a week. I have<br />
always said it is his choice, and if he wants<br />
to stop that’s also his choice. It is better<br />
than being stuck on a games console<br />
RV: Exactly, I want them to do what they<br />
love and lead active lives.<br />
MD: You seem to have a clear plan for the<br />
boys?<br />
RV: Their training is progressing well and<br />
with the Judo etc it gives them extra skills<br />
and knowledge where it takes them is up<br />
to them, we are on the right path with<br />
(cont...)
10<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
RISING STARS<br />
(cont...)<br />
the best team of instructors and coaches, who believe in their future in the sport. We<br />
also have a sports nutritionist who works with them on a regular basis.<br />
MD: Well I am fully behind you and can see all these boys going on to great things.<br />
Lets have a chat with the boys.<br />
MD: Who are you favourite Karate competitors?<br />
Liam: Rika Usami for Kata and Rafael Agayev for Kumite.<br />
Luan: For Kata Antonio Diaz, the legend Wayne Otto,<br />
and David Benetello Kumite.<br />
Luca: Enes Erkan for Kumite and Luca Valdesi for Kata.<br />
MD: You all compete both in Kata and Kumite, but<br />
which do you prefer?<br />
Liam: I like both<br />
Luan: I enjoy Kata but I feel the Kumite, the combat is<br />
definitely what I enjoy most.<br />
Luca: I like both but prefer fighting.<br />
MD: What is you favourite Kata and why?<br />
Liam: Unsu. I really enjoy working on it and performing<br />
it.<br />
Luan: Gankaku, becuase it is a stylish Kata and I feel<br />
confident with it.<br />
Luca: I enjoy the momentum of Gojushiho-sho and<br />
focus on this kata more in training.<br />
MD: The same question about Kumite techniques?<br />
Liam: Kizami-Zuki. I like this beacuse I score with it a lot.<br />
Luan: Ura-mawashi-geri is mine, because it scores high<br />
making it easier to win.<br />
Luca: A combination of mawashi-geri with<br />
ushiro-ura-mawashi-geri. This makes me feel good<br />
when I score because it looks cool.<br />
MD: What do you love about Karate?<br />
Liam: Karate is my life and since I have an understaning<br />
about life I just live it.<br />
Luan: Without Karate I would not have the skills for<br />
what I want to achieve in the future.<br />
Luca: Karate has given me big opportunities to travel<br />
around the world, meet new friends, learn new cultures<br />
and win big titles. (cont...)<br />
Luan:<br />
“I like to<br />
test my<br />
skills and<br />
ensure<br />
that i am<br />
doing<br />
the right<br />
training.”
12<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
RISING STARS<br />
(cont...)MD: What do you love about competing?<br />
Liam: When I win, I know the training that I am doing is working, if I lose I know I must<br />
train harder.<br />
Luan: I like to test my skills and ensure that i am doing the right training.<br />
Luca: It feels great to be on the mat and in the arena demonstrating my skills. I like it<br />
when I win it makes me feel happy.<br />
MD: What do you want to achive in Karate?<br />
Liam: I want first to become WKF World Youth Champion then youth and senior<br />
Olympic Champion and WKF World champion and with my brothers I want to do team<br />
Kata and be World Champion.<br />
Luan: Yeah the same as Liam.<br />
Luca: The same, we want to win everything possible.<br />
MD: You must have loads of trophies and medals, where do you find space for them<br />
Raf?<br />
RV: (laughs) This is a tricky one! There are hundreds we have them in the backyard in a<br />
shed until we find a better place for them.<br />
MD: You have travelled all over Europe competing tell me where you have been?<br />
Liam: France, Turkey<br />
Luan: Croatia, Belgium<br />
Luca: Luxembourg plus all over the UK?<br />
MD: Now big question Karate World Champion,<br />
Boxing World Champion, Judo World Champion,<br />
BJJ World Champion or UFC Champion?<br />
Liam Karate first who knows with the rest maybe.<br />
Luan: Karate but maybe after I will try for the others.<br />
Luca: Karate for sure.<br />
MD: Thanks guys this has been a real insight.<br />
All: Thanks Mike.<br />
We would like to thank all who in various ways<br />
influenced our ways of overcoming difficulties and<br />
achieving great results. We would like to wish all<br />
family members, friends, followers and supporters, a<br />
2017 blessed with health, peace and success, having in<br />
mind that we always reap what we sow!<br />
-Raphael, Luan, Liam & Luca<br />
The reason I started this was to hear these types of stories again. What a pleasure it<br />
was hearing these three young lads talk about the sports they love. The whole idea of<br />
sport participations is happy kids enjoying exercise and keeping fit. In todays<br />
electronic world kids find it all too easy not to participate in sport and that worries me.<br />
Sports professionals encourage participation in multiple sports. Wayne Otto used to<br />
incorporate different sports into his training, there are youtube videos of him sprinting<br />
as an example. Jordan Thomas works with sprint and hurdles coaches to improve his<br />
Karate.<br />
Incorporating Judo, Boxing and BJJ into Karate training will without a doubt help them<br />
reach their goals.<br />
These boys have won everything they can win, In both Kata and Kumite. They have<br />
won so many National and International titles it would take a full edition of this<br />
magazine to list them all. So instead here is a link to a recent video posted on line.<br />
https://www.facebook.com/officialverasbros/videos/1202023739845611/<br />
I have no doubt we will see much more of these boys in the future. And personally<br />
look forward to watching them grow and fulfil their dreams. Hopefully we will see<br />
Karate stay in the Olympic program and then see these lads become Olympic Gold<br />
medallists.<br />
It’s so refreshing to see the passion in such young lads, they work so hard. We wish<br />
them all the best for the future.
14<br />
TRADITIONAL KARATE<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
Gu-Do - A Hunger For The Way<br />
As we head toward unprecedented territory of karate’s inclusion to the Olympics in 2020, it is<br />
important to ensure the art does not go the same way as Judo and Taekwondo, which arguably have<br />
become primarily sports as opposed to martial arts, largely devoid of their original intent. Long<br />
before karate ever had any competitive aspect, it was an art of civil defense used by body guards,<br />
military, and police within the Ryukyu Kingdom; of which the island of Okinawa was the capital.<br />
Whilst inclusion in the Olympics has the great potential for positive growth, it also carries the risk<br />
that the rich history and depth of the art might be lost in favour of a superficial version with a limited<br />
shelf life.<br />
Once an athlete is past their prime, what then? Continue as a coach? Give up the art? Become a<br />
karate politician? Know that there is more, and that in Okinawa, the home of karate, it is standard<br />
practice that a karateka will continue to train until the day they die. As a matter of fact, some of my<br />
teachers were over 70 years old and still practicing on a daily basis. The competitive aspects of sports<br />
kata and kumite comprise of only one portion of karate.<br />
Our rich art consists not only of tried and tested practical fighting techniques, but also a fully<br />
functional support regime of strength, conditioning & flexibility exercises, 2-person drills, injury<br />
prevention & rehabilitation, psychology, tactics & strategy, philosophy, and weaponry. It truly is a<br />
lifetime’s study which can grow with us long after we’ve past our supposed prime. It was said in<br />
karate circles that you did not peak until you hit 50 years old!<br />
The First Systemised Okinawan Karate<br />
The kata of Goju Ryu such as Suparinpei, Sepai, and Kururunfa have become some of the most<br />
frequently performed within the competition circuit, yet few are aware of the totality of the system<br />
from which they come. Miyagi Chojun, the founder of Goju Ryu, was one of the first teachers to<br />
formally name his style and create a full training syllabus which was intended to make the kata easier<br />
to understand. Prior to him, karate was taught in a more haphazard manner, consisting of 3 or 4 kata,<br />
and a few seemingly unrelated 2-person kumite and conditioning drills. The art was taught in secret<br />
behind closed doors, and you had to be ‘in the know’ and of the right family lineage in order to gain<br />
access to what few teachers there were. As a result, in the early 20th century the art was in decline,<br />
and visionaries such as Miyagi Chojun, Itosu Anko, Mabuni Kenwa, and Funakoshi Gichin sought to<br />
modernise the art in order to make it more accessible for its future preservation and growth.<br />
Opening karate to the public meant there needed to be a bridge to take a novice of zero experience<br />
to a position where they could become fully operational in the space of a few years. As a result,<br />
in-depth research was conducted into physical calisthenics and weight training bespoke to the<br />
requirements of karate. If we look at photographs from that period, we can observe common traits in<br />
the physicality of the performers. This would become known as ‘the karate body’. So influential was<br />
this image that, even now, if you inform somebody of an older generation in Okinawa you practice<br />
karate they will look at your knuckles and check the size of your shoulders!<br />
Focusing upon the art of Goju Ryu, its founder Miyagi Chojun developed a system of calisthenics<br />
known as Junbi undo, which fully developed the ideal body type to support karate technique. Literally<br />
every part of the body is exercised through a series of demanding movements, taking around one<br />
hour to complete. It incorporates elements of Yoga, Chi Kung, plyometrics, isometrics, calisthenics,<br />
and martial technique in a systematic format. This was Miyagi’s piece de resistance, and although<br />
certain elements are shared throughout various schools of Okinawan karate, the junbi undo of Goju<br />
Ryu are arguably the most comprehensive.<br />
Supporting this were the Hojo Undo traditional weight training apparatus. Using variations of the<br />
Indian Club and the Kettle Bell such as Chi’ishi and Ishi Sashi, movements are performed with<br />
equipment to enhance the power generation and full body integration in martial technique.<br />
These two supplementary practises are intended to develop the ‘karate body’ which becomes the<br />
motor to drive the fighter. Without this, it is more difficult and time-consuming to fully develop<br />
the specific power generation and body articulation. The ideal karate practitioner should have the<br />
strength of a weight lifter, the agility of a gymnast, and the grace of a ballet dancer.<br />
Kakie is both a strengthening exercise and Okinawan karate’s unique form of free-fighting. In the old<br />
days challenge matches were referred to as kaki dameshi, and kakie developed from this<br />
tradition. Containing aspects of sticking hands, pushing hands, joint locking, striking, chokes, throws<br />
& groundwork; kakie allows for the full repertoire of kata application to be performed against a<br />
non-compliant partner.<br />
Tai Tanren refers to body forging through which various parts of the body are struck either using a<br />
partner in pre-arranged drills, or with equipment. This is likened to ‘arming the system’ so that every<br />
technique and striking tool is operational and able to be used with full power. Techniques in the kata<br />
such as nukite (spear hand), Shoken (single knuckle fist), and Sokusen (kicking with the big toe), can<br />
seem unrealistic, but if properly conditioned, they can become fully functional and give karate a<br />
brutal edge in a real encounter.<br />
These comprise the main supporting<br />
practises of traditional Okinawan<br />
karate which combined, help create<br />
the well-rounded karate fighter.<br />
Over the coming months we<br />
will explore these areas in greater<br />
detail with specific examples to<br />
implement in your own training<br />
regime.<br />
Garry Lever<br />
Jissokan Dojo<br />
Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate<br />
Matayoshi Kobudo<br />
Garry Lever has studied Goju Ryu in Okinawa, Japan and beyond from some of the worlds leading<br />
authorities in the arts. He specializes in the ‘old ways’ of Okinawan Karate and is the founder<br />
of the Jissokan dojo based in London. He has written numerous works such as ‘Karate: Parting<br />
The Clouds With Empty Hands’, and is co-author of ‘The Essence of Goju Ryu - Vol 1 & 2’.<br />
Find out more at www.jissokan.com and his blog at www.jissokan.blogspot.com
16<br />
BRITISH KARATE LEGENDS<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
by Patrick Donkor - BILLY HIGGINS<br />
Billy Higgins may not have as high a profile as some other British karateka of his<br />
generation. However, among his peers and those in the know, he is highly respected<br />
and one of the best tournament fighters Britain has produced. A very skilled fighter,<br />
famed for his lightning fast techniques, he enjoyed a long and distinguished<br />
competitive career at international level. He is the winner of multiple titles at European<br />
and World level.<br />
William ‘Billy’ Higgins was born on 14 August 1945 in<br />
Bootle, England. At school he had been a keen boxer. He<br />
had also been interested in football and gymnastics.<br />
In 1965 Higgins and a friend witnessed a free-sparring<br />
session at a Wado-ryu class run by Martin Stott. They<br />
were so impressed that they joined Stott’s club the next<br />
night.<br />
Higgins threw himself into his training and by 1970 had<br />
earned his 1st Dan in Wado-ryu Karate. By 1972 he had<br />
earned his 2nd Dan. However, he was beginning to run<br />
into issues with his training. To get advanced training<br />
meant travelling south to London from Bootle, situated in<br />
the North West of England. London was where he could<br />
train with senior instructors such as Wado-ryu master, Tatsuo Suzuki. This was proving increasingly<br />
difficult to do.<br />
Higgins competitive career had began on the local tournament scene from the time he was a purple<br />
belt. He was eventually called up to represent the national side. In 1970 he represented Great Britain<br />
at the European Karate Championships held in Hamburg, Germany. As part of the squad he awarded<br />
a bronze medal in the individual kumite event.<br />
In 1972 Higgins switched styles from Wado-ryu to Shotokan Karate. He joined the Karate Union of<br />
Great Britain (KUGB), training at clubs based in Liverpool and Kirby.<br />
At the 1972 European Karate Championships held in Brussels, Belgium, Higgins was part of the<br />
British team that lost to the eventual winners, France, in the Team Kumite final. That same year he<br />
came second in the kumite event at the WUKO All Styles World Championships held in Paris.<br />
In 1975 Higgins captained the British All Styles Karate team, managed by Steve Arneil, at the World<br />
Championships held in Long Beach, California. The team also included Terry O’Neill, David ‘Ticky’<br />
Donovan and Bob Rhodes. The team became the first non-Japanese team to be crowned Team<br />
Kumite World Champions. That same Higgins was also crowned European Karate Champion in the<br />
-75kg kumite event, held in Ostend, Belgium.<br />
Higgins continued competing into the 1980s. He was a part of the team that won a Team Kuite<br />
title at the 1981 European Championships. In a stellar tournament career his major honors<br />
include:<br />
World Championships, Individual Kumite – 2nd place (1972)<br />
World Championships, Team Kumite – 1st place (1975)<br />
World Championships, Team Kumite, 3rd place (1972, 1977, 1980)<br />
European Championships, Individual Kumite – 1st place (1974, 1975,1976)<br />
European Championships, Individual Kumite – 2nd place (1974)<br />
European Championships, Individual Kumite – 3rd place (1970, 1973)<br />
European Championships, Team Kumite – 1st place (1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981)<br />
European Championships, Team Kumite – 2nd place (1972)<br />
European Championships, Team Kumite – 3rd place (1977)<br />
On retiring from competitive Karate, Higgins eventually became a coach for the English<br />
Karate Board (EKB) squad and also a squad coach for the KUGB Scottish and Southern<br />
Regions. Currently ranked as an 8th Dan, he is a Grading Examiner and qualified international<br />
referee. In 2007 he was part of the coaching setup, including Andy Sherry, which coached the<br />
British team to European and World Championship titles.<br />
-Patrick Donkor<br />
Find more amazing pieces at http://findingkarate.com/<br />
1976 saw Higgins continue his<br />
dominance at the European Karate<br />
Championships.<br />
At the championships held in<br />
Tehran, Iran, he won medals in the<br />
individual and team kumite events.<br />
In the same year he was crowned<br />
European All styles kumite<br />
champion.<br />
In Black Belt Magazine’s 9th<br />
Annual Yearbook, published in<br />
October 1976, Higgins alongside<br />
fellow Englishmen Eugene<br />
Codrington, Brian Fitkin and Ticky<br />
Donovan, was named as one of the<br />
“Top Ten European Karateka”. Since<br />
1973 he had regularly featured in<br />
Black Belt Magazine’s top ten list.
16<br />
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE (part 1)<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
I first became aware of karate whilst standing in our<br />
local library as a 14-year old in 1959. I was into really<br />
weird books at that time like reincarnation,<br />
spiritualism, UFO’s etc. And I was just picking up H. P<br />
Blavatsky’s ‘The Secret Doctrine’ a monster of a book<br />
that I had specially ordered from the Chief librarian at<br />
the check-out counter. He commented ‘Well, I don’t<br />
know how you’ll get on with this one?’ Suddenly I<br />
was distracted by one of the new book covers that<br />
were pinned to the wall with about 20 other ‘new in’<br />
covers just behind the librarian. It was ‘The Manual of<br />
Karate’ by E J Harrison. I was sort of transfixed by it<br />
leading to the librarian again saying ‘I said I just don’t<br />
know how you’ll get on with this one?’<br />
I replied ‘What’s that book cover on the wall ‘Karate’<br />
(pronouncing it ‘car-rate’). He looked behind and<br />
replied ‘Oh, that’s a new sports book about a new self<br />
defence system and the proper pronunciation is<br />
‘Car-Rate-ee’; we were both wrong! I was puzzled<br />
why I was so fascinated by it and hired it out.<br />
Thinking I could maybe learn this new self defence from a book I read through it and showed it to<br />
my school mates boldly boasting that I’d learnt a lot and to be careful from now on. Within a month<br />
the book was back at the library and it would be another eight years before I came in contact with<br />
karate again.<br />
In 1967 I was a premier division table tennis player and having already won the Silvertown & District<br />
Business Houses singles and handicap titles a few years earlier I was now playing in two different<br />
Essex Premier Division leagues and representing my town in Essex inter-league matches in what was<br />
for me my dedicated lifetime sport. It was February 1967 when I was team captain playing a league<br />
match in the huge Standard Telephones & Cables works canteen. Strict silence was the order of the<br />
day in competitive play.<br />
Suddenly about halfway through the match a long line of guys in white pyjamas came marching into<br />
the other end of the canteen chatting and larking about. I shouted out ‘Quiet please, its a league<br />
match going on here!’ About 5-minutes later a guy wearing a black belt entered and all hell broke<br />
out when he got them all doing punches and kicks with a loud scream with every action. I ran down<br />
to speak to the guy and asked who gave him permission to use the canteen when it’s already<br />
occupied by league table tennis matches. He replied that it was the STC Sports Club Secretary. He<br />
did understand the difficult position and agreed that we could sort it out tomorrow with the<br />
companies sports club secretary. For the duration of our table tennis match the guys practising<br />
punches and kick just expelled a ‘Ooosshh’ sound instead of a loud shout.<br />
The guy who arranged that session worked in our wages dept and called into my office the following<br />
day to confirm that their practice night had been changed and he apologised. He invited me to have<br />
a free first lesson at his karate club. ‘So that’s what they were doing’ I thought as my mind went<br />
back to the E. J. Harrison karate book.<br />
I declined the free lesson offer, but then a week later after his offer kept popping back into my head<br />
I told him I’d give it a try.<br />
It was March 1967 and I was standing outside ‘The Gore Community Centre’ waiting with others to<br />
join the karate club. There was a guy standing alongside me with a transistor radio hanging from his<br />
bike and suddenly a song came on that to me was absolutely amazing. I asked him who was singing<br />
it and he replied ‘That’s Pink Floyd and their debut single ‘Arnold Layne’. I replied that I hadn’t heard<br />
it on my radio indoors and he said it was only played on Radio Caroline.<br />
So, on that fateful evening not only did I find a new sport but a new lifetime favourite group and a<br />
new radio channel to tune into. The club didn’t have a beginner’s course, you just had to sort of join<br />
in with the exercises and try and keep up with the training with the help of a brown and green belt<br />
that were wandering about correcting you.<br />
The instructors name was George Stubbings and he was both a judo and karate black belt. He<br />
explained to us that the style was Wado Ryu and that it would be Japanese instructors that graded us.<br />
He said that we would be required to have a licence to train and that the licence would contain the<br />
dates of our paths up towards black belt. I quite enjoyed the training and it came easy to me.<br />
I continued to keep up with my main sport<br />
of table tennis and after a few weeks of<br />
training in casual clothes my Gi and first<br />
red belt had arrived. I enjoyed learning<br />
the kata and passed my first grading after<br />
the Japanese instructor Mr Shiomitsu came<br />
down to grade the club. About 3-months<br />
had passed since I joined the club and<br />
having succeeded in passing my first grade<br />
it was now time for some free fighting. In<br />
my first individual sparring I was facing<br />
a green belt, quite a bit heavier than me.<br />
After some bobbing about he suddenly<br />
swept away my front foot and punched me<br />
hard in the head. I just lay on the floor,<br />
dazed. I saw the guy rubbing his fist<br />
afterwards and thought if that hurt your<br />
fist what do you think it did to my head?<br />
I decided that karate wasn’t really for me<br />
and I didn’t go back for a couple of weeks,<br />
continuing with my table tennis. Then as<br />
if a light suddenly turned on in my head I<br />
realised that I had to go back, otherwise I’d<br />
look upon myself as a coward for the<br />
rest of my life. I put up a punch bag in my garden shed practising all of the kicks and punches and<br />
progressed though my next grading with Mr Shiomitsu to yellow belt. I even had the opportunity to<br />
spar with Mr Shiomitsu, which to say the least was an experience.<br />
He had ‘banned’ cricket boxes as groin protectors as he thought it made you a bit lackadaisical about<br />
effectively blocking groin attacks. One graded guy clearly didn’t pay any attention because after<br />
twice just stopping two groin kicks without contact Mr Shionito gave him just a light tap to show he<br />
could have struck home and immediately stopped the sparring shouting, ‘Box, Box?’ He then bent<br />
down tapping the groin area nodding saying ‘Box, box.’ The next ‘Box’ kick he did really make the<br />
guys eyes water!<br />
By now I realised that I wasn’t progressing as fast as I wanted to and started visiting other karate<br />
clubs. I was now really enjoying the sparring and visited a different Essex club where there was a lot<br />
of sparring. There was a good blue belt there who told me that I was really also wasting my time<br />
training at that club and that I would be better off training further afield and he suggested that I visit<br />
a Club at Forest Gate over the top of The Eagle & Child pub that was run by a top black belt named<br />
Peter Spanton.<br />
(part 2 continues in next months issue)
16<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
It gives me great pleasure to be writing a small<br />
article to raise awareness of the importance of<br />
Scotland’s development in the World of Karate.<br />
Karate in Scotland continues to go from strength<br />
to strength as a result of the strong ethos between<br />
Scottish Coaching staff and athletes. I know that<br />
we have some of the best senior coaching staff in<br />
the world including; Hamish Adam MBE Director of<br />
Sport, Senior Head Coaches – Gerry Fleming and<br />
David Coulter MBE. They have not only achieved<br />
world and European Titles as fighters themselves<br />
with the British Team, but have produced<br />
World/European champions as coaches. We continue<br />
to invest in the youth of today as they are the future<br />
of Karate. The senior squad have moved through<br />
the ranks of our coaching development system and<br />
are happy to share their knowledge with the Junior<br />
Squad who are hungry for success.<br />
As a member of the junior coaching staff, I have<br />
benefitted from the excellent mentoring from the<br />
senior coaches. There are four other junior coaches<br />
who have all worked as a team providing expertise<br />
and knowledge to Kumite Karate in Scotland. These<br />
include: Jim Ross, Steven Adam, Rab Frame, myself<br />
and the newly appointed Martin Douglas. We<br />
welcome the upcoming opportunities to train new<br />
athletes and produce title winners in the future.<br />
SCOTLAND KARATE<br />
One of our proud<br />
junior members<br />
Development In Scotland<br />
We have monthly team pool training sessions held at Ratho, The National Judo Centre, where<br />
talent as young as ten years can attend and once they have been identified, we nurture them<br />
enabling them to compete at international level. Athletes must attend these sessions or risk<br />
being excluded from selection.<br />
When talent has been identified, there is effective communication between coaches to ensure<br />
athletes continue to reach their full potential. If selected for the World/European<br />
Championships, the athletes must train at the allocated sessions usually taking place at the<br />
Sakai Karate Dojo in Kilmarnock, where five time World Champion/European Champion Pat<br />
Mckay learned his exceptional skills under the watchful eye of Sensei David Coulter.<br />
I am personally looking forward to the Junior European Championships to be held in<br />
Bulgaria, where the Scottish youth will shine and I’m confident will return with medals. We<br />
have superb rising talent within the squad including; Adam El Shafei, Johnny Gilmour, Dylan<br />
Rush, James Coulter, Amy Connell, Amy Pollard and Rebecca Craig to name but a few who<br />
have tasted success at European/World level. It’s also great to see my lifelong friend Calum<br />
Robb back competing at senior level and still hungry for medals. (cont...)
16<br />
IPPON MAGAZINE<br />
SCOTLAND KARATE<br />
Here in Scotland we have a good breed of athletes/fighters coming from all Associations. The<br />
SKF always produce top fighters with the Adam family and Hamish still holding the reigns at<br />
the top. All other associations are still hungry for success with the Shitokai, JKS, Yamakai and<br />
don’t forget ‘Big Chris Ewing’, who has an army who are ready to compete and battle<br />
whenever and wherever.<br />
Our Association Sport Karate Sakai (David Coulter MBE/Kris Coulter/Richard Mallinson) are<br />
still producing squad members competing at WKF events. With these Associations all keen<br />
to succeed, it can only be geat for Scottish Karate. I know karate has went full circle as back<br />
in the day 70-80-90s and required a tough mentality and durability while it is now about skill<br />
and speed to compete. The flexibility and range of movement of some of the today’s fighters<br />
is exceptional as they can kick from all angles and is a delight to watch.<br />
Funding in Karate<br />
Athletes of Today in Scotland don’t receive any funding as all trips are self-funded by<br />
association/parents/fund raising etc. This can only get better now we are an Olympic Sport.<br />
I was lucky enough to have been one of the lottery funded athletes in Scotland, when that<br />
opportunity ceased alot of fighters thought it was the end, with work/uni became a priority<br />
for many. Its great that athletes can fight for WKF titles at 14 years but it is a financial burden<br />
for parents as they strive to achieve their dreams. I hope if funding does become available<br />
that It would go on the athletes/coaches (for transport and all fee coverage etc) and not be<br />
spent on hierarchy and admin. In my opinion Britain got left behind for a few years, while<br />
other countries invested in karate and this was reflected as they picked up the medals. These<br />
included: France/Turkey/Italy/Azerbaijan etc and let’s not forget the excellence of Mr Rafael<br />
Aghayev.<br />
The return of the 10k karate clash in London<br />
is amazing for British KARATE as £10,000 to<br />
any athlete in Karate is a massive boost and<br />
a great reward for all the hard work in which<br />
any fighter invests in the sport. It’s also great<br />
for people to see fighters compete for the<br />
biggest prize in karate.<br />
Olympics<br />
I think the inclusion of karate in the Olympics<br />
is fantastic and gives the chance for all<br />
athletes to showcase their talent at the<br />
biggest show of sport in the world. I have<br />
personal hopes and dreams for my two boys<br />
Kory (6year old) and Frankie (3 years old) to<br />
become champions in karate and what<br />
better title than Olympic Champion.<br />
I personally wouldn’t like the set-up of the<br />
four nations becoming a British Team again<br />
as alot of politics could surface. I feel in the<br />
near future Scotland will be Independent<br />
and have a nation of its own which would be<br />
great for Scotland.<br />
World Championships<br />
England has a New World Champion, which<br />
is so well deserved for my wee pal (Wee<br />
Wullie) Jordan Thomas. He has lead from the<br />
front and inspired all athletes in Britain to<br />
achieve their goal. This also comes with the<br />
sad news and resignation of his father<br />
William Thomas from the England Head<br />
Coach position. I am saddened that England<br />
has lost a top coach and a good bloke.<br />
I feel a lot of ex fighters don’t put back into<br />
the sport of karate once their own sporting<br />
career is over, a lot of knowledge could be<br />
shared to allow other to reach their full<br />
potential.<br />
In conclusion I look forward to the<br />
preparations for Tokyo 2020.<br />
Ouss, Kris Coulter(Scotand/Sakai Coach)